The best way to beat the demons was to write about them. That's why I started…

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Serious Films I Can’t Take Seriously

Part 2 of the author’s list of serious songs/films that are meant to be serious but only succeed in making him laugh.

Yesterday I went on for a bit about songs that were meant to be serious that instead tickle my dark sense of humor. Today, I share some films that have the same impact on me. What does all this have to do with managing my mental illness? As I’ve said, humor is an important coping tool.

The Exorcist

I won’t play the clip of Linda Blair shooting pea soup from her mouth and levitating off her bed. Instead, I’ll let Beetlejuice sum up my position on this classic.

The Amityville Horror

Eddy Murphy said it best: When a demon tells you to get out, you don’t just stand there. You get the (expletive) out!

Helter Skelter

OK, this is based on a true story. And there is nothing funny about this sad piece of American criminal history. But Jeremy Davies’ portrayal of Charles Manson is so over the top in this 2004 remake of Helter Skelter, I can’t help but be amused.

Full Metal Jacket

War is hell. So when the characters in this movie trudge through hell with their off-colored humor intact, it says something about personal survival in the mental sense.

Legion

This one just came out, and, granted, a lot of this is meant to be taken with a laugh. But me being a devout Catholic and all, I find the whole concept of this film so over the top that I can’t see it as anything other than comedy. Which is exactly why I want to see it.